The EU is trying to put pressure on Hungary to return to democracy with economic sanctions and to launch the so-called rule of law procedure for the first time. The Commission sent a letter to Budapest on Wednesday.
27.4. 13:19 • Updated April 27. 13:42
The Commission finally sent a written notification to Hungary on Wednesday that it would formally launch the so-called rule of law process against Hungary. The launch of this procedure has been planned and prepared for years.
The newly elected prime minister for a new term Viktor Orbán could lose hundreds of millions of euros in EU funding a year as a result of the procedure.
This is the first time that the EU has put into practice a new mechanism for controlling budgetary resources. Subsidies that violate the principles of democracy and the rule of law can be denied.
The list of offenses in Hungary is long
The list compiled by the Commission of possible breaches of EU rules by Hungary is long.
The EU considers that the authorities and auditors monitoring the use of funds in the country are deficient, the accountability systems for budgetary resources are unclear, fraud and corruption are not sufficiently addressed, and public procurement is not properly implemented.
In addition, the corruption detected in Hungary is not sufficiently investigated and prosecuted. The Commission also asks Hungary for further information on the functioning of its legal system.
The Commission emphasizes that this is not a matter of criminal proceedings but of opening a dialogue with Hungary. The aim is to reach an agreement with Hungary so that the procedure can be suspended.
Member States accept
It will take time to complete the process. Hungary has two months to respond to the Commission’s allegations. Comments are then back and forth.
If Hungary does not request an expedited procedure, the Commission shall, no later than one year later, present the matter to the Council of Ministers, which shall be composed of the Member States. Member States must adopt sanctions by a qualified majority. A qualified majority means 55% of the member states where at least 65% of EU citizens live.
The scope of sanctions will also have to be twisted. It is very unlikely that the EU will cut all subsidies from an individual member state at once.
Due to its democratic problems, Hungary has not yet received any money from the new EU Recovery Fund, which was set up two years ago. It will receive around € 40 billion in EU funding over this seven-year budget period.
What’s going wrong in Hungary?
Since coming to power in 2010, Orbán’s government has introduced a new constitution and changed the electoral system so that, for example, constituencies are defined according to the lines of support of the ruling Fidesz party.
Fidesz has expanded its influence into the judiciary, the state media and the education system. Orbán’s supporters have been appointed as both the chief prosecutor and the media watchdog.
At the same time, corruption has raged in Hungary, benefiting those in power. Thanks in part to EU-funded public procurement, Orbán’s family members and close friends have become the richest people in Hungary.
As a result, the EU, several experts and the Hungarian opposition estimate that the country is no longer a full-fledged democracy. Orbán himself says he is pushing for “illiberal democracy.”
Gate ban for the Commissioner
The Hungarian government, for its part, argues that the rule of law mechanism is a political tool. One and a half years ago, Orbán demanded the Vice-President of the European Commission for Justice and Values Věra Jourován separation. It is known that Jourová still has a gate ban on Budapest.
The Commission has had difficulty in tackling the decline of democracy in Hungary due to the lack of a clear approach in the EU treaties. Various European institutions have tried to challenge Hungary in various ways in recent years, but Orbán has only continued to strengthen his power.
Orbán has also been involved in many EU foreign policy projects.
Last Tuesday, Hungary was the only EU country to oppose a statement condemning a Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavalan life sentence and demanded his release. Foreign policy requires the unanimity of the member states, so the statement was not published.
You can discuss the topic on 28.4. until 11 p.m.